Matching Gifts Guidelines
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Matching Gifts Guidelines While a portion of the company's giving is in the form of direct contributions to qualified nonprofit organizations aligned with our business through the Autodesk Foundation, Autodesk recognizes the value of supplementing these donations with an employee matching program. Such a program ensures that Autodesk employees have a representative voice in determining where contribution resources are allocated and also serves to foster an atmosphere of community spirit. Donations typically fall into five different giving categories: Arts and Culture; Education & Technology; Environment & Sustainability; Civic & Community; and Health & Human Services. The matching range is $25 USD minimum to $3,000 USD maximum per calendar year Employees who support the nonprofit community by serving on Advisory Boards and Boards of Directors for qualifying tax-exempt organizations may have their donations matched 2:1 up to the US$3000 limit. Employees must be active board members at the time of the donation to receive this benefit. Organizations that are ineligible for donations through the YourCause site or matching contributions are those that are: Religious: Pledges, tuition or tithes to houses of worship (e.g. churches, synagogues, etc.). Contributions to religious programs or organizations whose principal purpose is propagating a particular religious faith, creed, or doctrine (e.g. missions, religious orders, etc.). Discriminatory: Autodesk does not provide matching funds for any programs or organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or any other classification protected by law. Lobbying/Advocacy: Gifts for political causes. Gifts to fraternities, sororities, their affiliated foundations, political organizations, lobbying groups or individuals. Matches will not be made to organizations with a political agenda, mission, purpose, or in support of political candidates or causes. Other: Gifts of property other than cash or securities. Gifts given to or through a third party. Gifts to private operating foundations 501(c)(3), Status 3 and Status 4, which have deductibility limitations. Gifts to Donor Advised Funds. Deferred gifts (e.g., annuities, charitable remainder trusts, etc.), bequests and insurance premiums that name the organization as beneficiary. Organizations, private foundations or programs that fund terrorist groups or activities. Click here for a brief video tutorial about how to submit your match request. Q&A 1. How often are the matches paid? All donations are vetted and approved for match eligibility by the vendor. The expected length of time for your donation to be matched is 30-60 days, depending on when the match was submitted. Matches are typically paid each month following the month the donation was made. If a donation is made on July 1 and another donation is made on July 31, both will be matched in August. The last day to submit match requests each year is December 31. A match year is January 1 through December 31. All donations are processed by our vendor, Silicon Valley Community Foundation. 2. Can I make a donation outside of the match & volunteer site? Yes. If you have a soft or hard copy receipt, you can scan and upload it to the volunteer and match website. Do not use screen shots. They are hard to read and your match will not be processed. Select “Record Offline Donation” from the Gifts tab on the match & volunteer site. 3. Is my donation made in “real time?” No. If you make a credit card donation through the match & volunteer site, your donation is held and sent with the matching funds the next month. If the organization needs the initial donation immediately, you should make your contribution using the nonprofit organization’s site, not the match & volunteer site. You can upload your receipt to the match and volunteer site and it will be matched the following month. If the organization can wait, you can make the donation and match request all at once through the match and volunteer site. 4. What organizations qualify for matching grants? Which ones don't? What are the limitations? All organizations are vetted for eligibility. Nonprofit organizations or educational institutions are eligible for matching granta, provided the employee donation was not intended for personal gain such as tuition, nor the purpose of promoting a religious or political cause or agenda. Additionally, any organization that has a message or practice of discrimination is ineligible. Matches will not be made to organizations with a political agenda, mission, purpose, or in support of political candidates or causes. Matches to religious organizations may be made if the donation goes to a secular, nondenominational community program or project. However, if a donation is made to a church or other religious entity for the purpose of promoting its religion, the donation is ineligible for a company match. Organizations that do not qualify for matching include those that: advocate, support or practice discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, mental or physical disability and any other classification protected by law. have as an explicit purpose the nomination or election of candidates to a political office, or donations to political causes. designate the donation for the purpose of promoting a religious belief or faith. Autodesk will not match donations submitted by employees who are fundraising if the donation has already been matched by another employee. This is called “double dipping.” To clarify, if employee A makes a donation to an organization in support of employee B’s fundraising efforts, and employee A has it matched, then employee B cannot also have that amount matched. Employees may not receive gifts from the nonprofit for their donation if they wish to have it matched. Gifts include tickets to shows and events or any other item given in exchange for the donation. Matches will be made only on the tax-deductible amount allowed by law. 5. How will the organization know that the matching grant is a result of my donation? When processing your donation simply add your name in the Designation field. You can enter: “Matching grant of YOUR NAME.” 6. I went to a religious college – can I make a contribution to my alma mater? Yes. Your college would qualify for a matching grant, as long as it does not enforce an exclusionary or discriminatory enrollment policy or is used for tuition for a specific individual. While an institution may be, for example, Catholic or Jewish or any other religion, it would be eligible for a grant as long as there was no exclusionary policy of any other religious or ethnic group. A donation to scholarship funds to be used for the general student population is allowed. 7. What about the community outreach programs that many religious organizations sponsor? Do they qualify? These organizations do qualify, as long as the programs are nondenominational in their approach. A local synagogue, for example, that runs a shelter open to anyone would be eligible for a matching grant, as long as the employee gift was made specifically for the operation of the shelter, open to anyone. A congregational youth group sponsored by this same synagogue raising funds to send students on missions would NOT be eligible, due to the denominational slant of the program. As long as a wider human need and community service program are supported, rather than a direct religious or congregational program, the institution is eligible for a matching grant. If there are questions about whether a donation to a religious organization is eligible, email [email protected]. 8. What about political donations? Any organization that promotes a political platform or political issue, or organizations that attempt to raise funds for a particular individual to run for public office, will not be matched. Examples of political organizations include the Democratic, Republican, Green, Independent or Libertarian Parties. Nonprofit groups or programs with a political agenda, mission, party affiliation or support of a candidate or cause are ineligible. Additionally, organizations in direct conflict with Autodesk policies on discrimination are not eligible for a matching grant. 9. I serve on a nonprofit board. How is my match accelerated? Employees who serve as Advisory Board Members or members of a Board of Directors for a qualifying nonprofit organization may have their donations matched at 2:1. Employees must be active board members during the time of the donation. 10. What if I want to make a contribution to a gay/lesbian-oriented non-profit? Would this qualify for a matching grant, or would it be considered "discriminatory" to heterosexuals or other groups? Yes, it would qualify. Most gay and lesbian groups are special-interest advocacy groups, and should be viewed in the context of providing services to or protecting the rights of potentially disenfranchised individuals. While their services are geared toward gays and lesbians, and thus one could argue they are exclusionary of heterosexuals, they are providing services that gays and lesbians might not have access to through traditional channels. 11. Can my matching funds be used to supplement my student loan payments? How about to defray costs of membership dues? No. Matching funds cannot be used to offset any outstanding bills, tuition or dues. Nor can they be used to grant funds to an individual through the school. 12. Can a matching grant be made to an individual? If I give money to someone who is "down on their luck," or another individual, will Autodesk match it? No. Autodesk does not grant money to individuals. However, an agency helping low- income and struggling individuals and families may receive a matching grant specifically for the program that helps people in these circumstances. Donations made to a specific individual, even through an eligible organization, are not matchable.